AN ACT CONCERNING LEAVE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY CALLS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1.
Section 5-249 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2003):

(a) Any state employee who is an active volunteer firefighter or member of a volunteer ambulance service or company (1) may, with the authorization of [his]such employee's appointing authority, be permitted to leave work in order to respond to fire calls or ambulance calls during [his]such employee's regular hours of employment without loss of pay, vacation time, sick leave or earned overtime accumulation, or (2) shall be permitted to respond to such calls prior to reporting for work without such prior authorization and without loss of pay, vacation time, sick leave or earned overtime accumulation, provided in either case, if requested by such employee's appointing authority, such employee submits a written statement from the chief of the volunteer fire department or the medical director or chief administrator of the volunteer ambulance service or company verifying that such employee responded to a fire or ambulance call and specifying the date, time and duration of such response.

(b)Any state employee who is a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross may, with the authorization of [his]such employee's supervisor, be granted a leave not to exceed fourteen days in each year to participate in specialized disaster relief services for the American Red Cross, upon the request of the American Red Cross, without loss of pay, vacation time, sick leave or earned overtime accumulation.

(c)Any state employee who is an active volunteer firefighter or member of a volunteer ambulance service or company may, with the authorization of [his]such employee's appointing authority, be allowed to attend training sessions or drills during [his]such employee's regular hours of employment without loss of pay, overtime accumulation or sick leave.